Release of the Commission of Inquiry Report on the Human Rights Situation in Syria

Statement by Ambassador Eileen Chamberlain Donahoe
Release of the Commission of Inquiry Report on Syria

November 28, 2011

The United States welcomes the release this morning of the report by the independent international Commission of Inquiry on Syria. We commend the hard work and resourcefulness of the Commission in compiling the report despite the Syrian government’s refusal to grant access to investigate within Syrian borders.

The Commission’s findings confirm what we have been hearing for several months — that on a nearly daily basis the Assad regime is killing peaceful demonstrators and committing arbitrary detentions, torture, and other serious human rights violations. This report amplifies an already growing chorus of international condemnation and call for action. It is clear to anyone who reads it that Assad’s unwillingness to end his regime’s violence is taking Syria down a very dangerous path despite efforts led by the Syrian people to start a peaceful transition to democracy.

Today, members of the Human Rights Council are collecting signatures for an urgent interactive session of the Council on Friday, December 2, where we will review the Commission’s report and make recommendations about how to contribute to a resolution of the crisis.

We commend the Arab League’s leadership in addressing the urgent situation in Syria and we profoundly admire the brave Syrians, including those inside Syria, who contributed to this report at great personal risk. The continued attention to the crisis in Syria by the Human Rights Council reflects the priority the international community places on supporting the Syrian people and bringing an end to the Assad regime’s violence against them.